The US government has told Apple CEO Tim Cook that it would not place tariffs on iPhones assembled in China, a person familiar with the matter told the New York Times. Cook visited the White House last month to discuss with President Donald Trump and his economic advisors why Apple opposes any tariffs on Chinese goods, the report said. Apple is worried that China will retaliate against US tariffs in ways that harm its growing business in China.
Apple fears "the Chinese-bureaucracy machine is going to kick in", an unnmaed source told the paper, meaning the Chinese government could cause delays in its supply chain and increase scrutiny of its products under the guise of national-security concerns. Apple has faced such retaliation before, another person said.
